Atlantic
by bonbonpich
Summary: KuroKura. Sequel to the Sun also Shines at Night, prequel to Carry On. They were supposed to be enemies. Yet, fate was starting to change bit by bit.
1. Ch 1 an Empty House

**_Note: _**When CO came out, I've got lots of feedback saying Kuroro and Kurapika's relationship kind of jumped. Here you'll find why. I initially planned to make this end in one short chapter. I've gone through TSASAN's chapters to get to this and saw my note in the last few chapters that the conclusion will be so short, don't know why when I started writing again, it became so long that I have to break it into chapters.

Hope you enjoy :D Please do review!

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**Title:** Atlantic

**Summary:** Sequel to the Sun also Shines at Night, prequel to Carry On. They were supposed to be enemies. Yet, fate was starting to change bit by bit.

So what had happened between Kuroro and Kurapika before they were at where they were now in Carry On?

**Disclaimer:** HxH belongs to the great Yoshihiro Togashi-sensei.

_Special thanks to Yumii for beta-reading_

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**Chapter 1 an Empty House**

Everything was quiet.

A little peace of mind was something Kurapika had always been longing for since lately. He believed that he wouldn't be able to find real tranquility in this life unless his two goals had been accomplished. One was to retrieve all of the flame-colored eyes. And another one, to put an end to the people that destroyed his Kuruta clan. As of yet, he seemed to be far from both.

His green eyes drew open, and he worked his brain into alertness. _'Okay, still in the airship.'_ He pushed himself up on the bed and no longer felt lightheaded, his fever had broken. Beside his bed, the digital clock read 11pm. _'I've slept only for a few hours._ _He said we'll have a stopover before continuing to our destination.' _His brain was wide awake at the thought as he uttered, "Kuroro."

Next to his bed was a chair with two sets of books, doubtless classified as finished and unfinished ones. On his bedrest were a bowl of water with ices and a wet cloth floating on the surface of it. The man responsible for those items was nowhere in their private cabin.

Weird as it was, Kurapika had been waking to the presence of Kuroro for months. He had not noticed how strange it felt not seeing the man until then. That in mind, he slapped his forehead with an open palm and let out a soft sarcastic chuckle, followed by a sigh. "What am I thinking?"

Just as the door to his room swung open, Kurapika jerked his head up.

Kuroro was there, face betraying nothing as always. He closed the door, strode purposefully in the room and placed himself on the chair. While Kurapika gazed at him with uncertainty, the man leaned towards the boy, but remained intact on the chair where his elbows were on his knees. Only then, did his poker face break into a faint smirk.

The boy's face twisted into a frown, he sank backward into the bed. "What?"

"You called me, did you?" The man said in voice that contained controlled amusement.

"No, I didn't," Kurapika blurted without a thought.

"Yes, you did," the man countered.

_'I did?' _Kurapika searched his memory and _'oh.' _Before he could say, act, or even think of anything further to that, Kuroro's chuckle floated over, making Kurapika narrow his gaze. "It didn't mean anything." His voice came out calmer than he'd expected, which was a good a sign. He wouldn't want to waste energy being pissed every time the man got on his nerves.

A cold hand came into contact with his forehead, causing Kurapika to shut one eye but remained the other opened to take in the situation.

"Good, you've learnt your lesson." Kuroro smiled at him.

"Hold on, was that to test me?" Kurapika asked, his voice restraining a slight frustration.

"Yes, and no," Kuroro answered, but he shifted his gaze sideways, having a second thought. "I'm more inclined towards a 'no' though." He said as he withdrew his hand, keeping a small amusement to himself that Kurapika didn't bat his hand away. Before the boy could ask for a reason behind his answer, he changed topic, "That aside, how are you feeling now?" he actually knew the answer. He wouldn't have left the room in the first place if the boy hadn't broken the fever.

"Fine," Kurapika nodded along with his own answer.

"Good, we'll be arriving at Ralph Airport in three hours. From there, you'll catch another flight to Attique City," Kuroro informed and waited. As expected, the boy gave him a questioning look. "It's a change of plan. I've just discussed with my comrades; everything didn't go according to arrangement. Nobunaga, Machi, Franklin, and Coltopi faced some complication midway to Ryuuseigai. Phinx didn't want them or us to go either, so I ordered them to scatter. But-" Kuroro paused, not losing the line of conversation, but rather unsure of how to explain a certain circumstance.

"They insisted on seeing you again?" Kurapika supplied knowingly. Kuroro's head bobbed with the briefest look of awkward expression which didn't escape his keen observation. Kurapika's eyebrows lifted, as seeing that expression on the man's face was odd.

"We'll meet them at Melb City, probably next month."

It didn't require that amount of time to get to the city. Puzzled, Kurapika questioned, "Next month?"

Kuroro went straight to the point, "Like I said, I will have to fight with Hisoka tomorrow. I wouldn't want him tailing me since we'll be spending a bit of time in Attique and other places along the way to Melb, I told him to hold our battle in another city. Hence, you'll go to Attique first. When I'm done, I'll catch up with you. I take it that you wouldn't want to have anything to do with our fight anyway."

Thinking Kuroro's words over, Kurapika nodded. But he didn't really get the whole picture of this trip. "I don't get it. Why Attique?"

Instead of giving a direct answer, Kuroro asked back, "Months ago, why were you at Attique in the first place?"

Mildly annoyed that his question was answered with another question, Kurapika frowned a bit. Then again, he figured it wouldn't do any good so he opted to reply, "After I had left Nostrad, Senritsu suggested for me to go for a vacation. I chose Attique. That city is renowned for restful ambience, historical sites and such."

"Is that all to it? I assumed before that you went there in search of flame-colored eyes as well." He said and waited for the boy until he nodded. Then Kuroro disclosed, "You were right, Kurapika. The flame-colored eyes are there."

Kurapika's eyes lit up in anticipation. His hands pressed the sheets absentmindedly as he pushed himself up and leant forward in his sitting position. "The flame-colored eyes…there?"

Kuroro was amused at the boy's reaction, for it was the first time that Kurapika seemed to be actually open up to him. He was acting on his own accord without guarding his expression or demeanor. Kuroro nodded, "You followed the right trail, if there was any."

Untold to anybody, Kurapika had chosen to come to the city mainly because he had a dream with faint images of his Kuruta clan leading him there. No matter how uncanny it seemed, Kurapika just couldn't rule that out that there might be a spirit guiding him. Although for the past five years, through all the bad chapters of his life, he was left to himself completely without direction, save for the cries of his people that he heard in his head. Then suddenly…this.

Kurapika sorted the man's intention about his bringing this up. _Does that mean Kuroro was going to lend a hand in retrieving the eyes?_ It raised the question, "So, we'll…go look for the eyes?" The boy found himself asking.

"You said 'we' Why, I'm delighted," Kuroro said with a small grin. When the boy responded with a fast clap over his mouth, he chuckled and corroborated, "To make it even better, we'll just have to retrieve them, without having to search. I know where they are."

Almost allowing his heart to leap with anticipation, Kurapika had to hold himself from that as he realized one thing, "Wait, why are we…no…Why do you-" He couldn't finish it, but that was all he needed to get the message across.

"Why am I doing this?" Kuroro shrugged nonchalantly. "Back then I did say that we'll go search for Kuruta's eyes once our business is over, didn't I? I'm just keeping my words." He watched Kurapika's face progress from thinking to recalling, and ended up in doubt. Kuroro's brows furrowed as he pointed out, "You actually _didn't _believe me."

Hearing the unusual tone of disappointment, Kurapika wiped away the doubtful look from his face. Although it did raise another question, "But…you'd do that when I was considered a part of Ryodan. Now I'm not, then why…"

There was a look on Kuroro's face that Kurapika could imagine if the man was Leorio, the man would have yelled his ears right out to dead for asking so many 'why's. _Why (again)_ _couldn't Kurapika just accept the offer and be happy with it?_ Well, he couldn't. His mortal enemy, treating him this way. It was a long way out of his expectation, out of his rational thoughts and logic.

Fortunately, Kuroro was probably the most patient (if not apathetic and listless) being he'd ever encountered. The most he did was sigh in monotony. "I will not bother myself getting the answer for you on that one. Think about it yourself." Not giving a room for further discussion for that matter, he moved onto the next subject. "When you were in Attique, where did you stay?"

Dissatisfied with how Kuroro dismissed his question, Kurapika looked away for a moment, and decided it was no good of him acting like a dejected kid; he complied to go Kuroro's way for now. "An inn located on the western city border."

"There is an empty house, located on the city border in the east. It situated next to the sea, and the Attique forest is its backyard. You could go there if you like. It is the only Victorian-style house with deep crimson roof. I stayed there three days prior to meeting you."

"Okay," Kurapika nodded. When he actually processed Kuroro's words, he jerked his head to the man. "You were there three days before we met?" When given a nod, Kurapika started thinking to himself again. This time, it seemed that Kuroro could read him though.

"You were there three days before we met as well." Kuroro said, more of a statement than a question. The discreet silence that followed meant 'yes' to him. He laughed lightly, contentedly. Only when Kurapika threw him a spearing glance did he stop. Still, he couldn't contain the single word clouding his mind. "Fate."

"Coincidence," Kurapika retorted halfheartedly.

While he let Kurapika throw him a silent glare, Kuroro pondered aloud, "Come to think of it. I knew for years that York Shin holds the auction annually, I've never planned on robbing there until this certain year that you happened to be there as well." He fixed his thoughtful gaze on Kurapika. "If our paths crossing is a coincidence, then it sure is happening _an awful lot_, don't you think?"

The boy practically growled and hoped to have a decent comeback by saying, "That coming from a man who said how we met was just a petty accident?"

"Hmm?" Amusement in Kuroro's tone was obvious. After all this time the kid still remembered. "Things I've said back then still bother you?" Kuroro gave a disapproving shake of head, "Kurapika, you need to learn to forget that kind of nuisance." One look at the boy, and he knew his principle was useless. Kurapika might have learnt to control his temper…more. But to forget what had been done upon him? When hell freezes over. "Well," Kuroro said while lifting his gaze upward, then back to meet Kurapika's. "At that time, I _didn't _know what had happened wasn't insignificant incident as I've said to you. It was just _beyond_ that girl's prediction."

Blinking, Kurapika jerked his head away. So much for his attempt to counter, but was the only one affected by it. He couldn't help the feelings inside of him, causing by Kuroro's words. Why was Kuroro saying things to make him feel…liberated from the words that contracted his heart to aggravation months back?

Reading the atmosphere and sensed it change for good, Kuroro decided to backtrack, "Anyway, if you prefer an inn or a hotel, I don't mind. Just let me know where you are," Kuroro said and added after. "Even if you didn't, I'd find you eventually. Or perhaps coincidence would lead us together again." He couldn't resist that line.

"Cut it out. It doesn't matter." Impatience marked his voice, but Kurapika ignored Kuroro's nag to the best of his ability. Mentally, though, he couldn't help the thought that crossed his mind:

_If the search for the Kuruta's eyes here at Atttique City was led by the spiritual guidance, could the encounter with Kuroro in Attique be led by the same unseen force as well?_

"Fine. What matters is-" Kuroro took turn to look at the boy in the eyes and asked, "-would you wait for me there, at the Attique?"

Something in Kuroro's words made Kurapik's insides curl. He realized that it would be the first time Kuroro would let him out of the sight completely. Without him being sick this time, he was bound by no obligations. The uncanny of all was how the man had delivered the question. Kuroro wasn't looking for a positive answer but allowing him the luxury of choice?

_Oh well, that was probably because there was only one answer. _

But instead of saying he had no other choice, Kurapika nodded, "Of course." And he was even more surprised that his own answer made Kuroro smile. The kind of smile that described how the man was put at ease by it.

Between them, things were getting more and more _unusual_.

No sooner than Kurapika stared at the man did a terrible pain occurred out of nowhere, stinging his eyes. He clasped his hands over his face with a pained gasp. He felt a hand on his shoulder right away.

"What's wrong?"

Gritting his teeth, but hiding it behind his tight lips, Kurapika shook his head. Kuroro had seen him in pain enough; he didn't want this anymore, especially when Kuroro's voice was underlying with concern. Somehow, the man wouldn't comply with his disregard, and instead grab hold of the boy's wrists.

"Let me see," Kuroro demanded.

With an insisting force applied, Kurapika was obliged to let go. His vision blurred but his skin felt Kuroro's touch on his cheeks. Inside, he was greatly bothered by this but tried not to show it on his face since Kuroro was right in front of him.

Kuroro steadied the boy's face in his hand, pretty much the same way as he did back then. The nen-sealer was gone for good and Kurapika's nen had returned. What else could go wrong? By using Gyou, he found out. "Remnants of nen. Eyes are sensitive organ of the body. No doubt the after effect of nen would still cause your eyes pain to some extent. But it should be fine in a couple of days."

"Oh," Kurapika managed to respond, after getting the pain under his control. And somewhat found relief in Kuroro's explanation. Even when his eyes recovered from the blurriness, time was needed. So only when his eyes came to the clearness did he realized Kuroro was still holding his wrists. His mind would have screamed the man to let go already, yet he didn't. All he could do was stared back.

Silence passed on by as both looked as if they had something to say, yet they found nothing to say to each other, and only ended up making no move as if frozen in time.

Until both, had simultaneously tore their eyes off from each other and turned their eyes to the door. It was Kuroro who spoke first. "Feel that?"

"Behind the door. Not a nen-user," Kurapika responded in a low tone as he came up with the most possible circumstance. "Probably they're after my Hunter-license" His voice was a bit dragged, bored.

Kuroro's eyes shifted from the door to Kurapika, studying the boy's composed feature. "I assume this isn't the first time, isn't it?" As soon as he finished that, he got himself up, eyes centering to the door. Before he made it anywhere far, a hand snatched at the hem of his shirt.

"It's my problem. I'll take care of it," Kurapika stated as he pushed himself up as well. That very moment, Kurapika wished his eyes were somewhere else rather than witnessing Kuroro's face.

The man's expression was upset, even in that kind of poker face.

"But your eyes-"

"I don't need my full nen ability to do this," Kurapika said, brushing past Kuroro.

While he heard a mumble, "I'm not taking that risk," he was hurled back by the hands that seized his arms. Losing balance, he stumbled back to find himself landed on the spot he'd been occupied earlier, the bed. Glancing up, he knew the man was going to take matters into his own hand. "Hey-!"

"Don't worry. I won't kill anyone," Kuroro smiled to the boy, and jabbed a finger downward, "So just sit back and behave like an ailing person. To make it even better, go behind the bed," he said with a commanding tone than asking.

"I'm not-"

"Time's out." Kuroro cut Kurapika's words as he shoved Kurapika behind the piece of furniture.

He tumbled and fell on the other side of the bed. After regaining his position, Kurapika hissed at no one since Kuroro was far at the door already. The man slid the door open and brought himself out of the room.

Kurapika couldn't see what Kuroro had done to get pass the man that was behind the door a moment ago. He rushed to the door, fearful for people's lives. He yanked the door opened and was relieved to find the group of people just scattered away in different direction, with noncoherent fearful cries but without any stench of blood. They had been armed, and yet hightailing away without so much as a one single gunshot.

What could have been Kuroro's tactic?

Too late to chase away these people himself in the less damage means possible, yet wasn't late to stop Kuroro from trying to go after them (and God knows what he'd do with them), Kurapika caught a hold of Kuroro's arm.

Kuroro turned to him, unnerving. "Didn't I tell you to stay put?"

"And what made you think I have to obey your word?" the boy returned, equally unnerving.

Kuroro exhaled a short breath. Then having realized just how much he'd come to sigh these past few months since having Kurapika around, his hand pressed over his temple a little. More often than not, his sigh wasn't out of boredom, but of tiredness. It was dawned on him that Kurapika could get on his nerves as much as he did with the boy.

That was one secret to take to his grave.

"Right. Okay, would you go back in the room, _please_?" Kuroro mocked requesting. Once Kurapika did so, with a light glare, Kuroro followed. He closed the door behind him and started, "Carrying Hunter license brings a burden too, eh?"

"It's not a big deal," said hunter responded, his tone indifferent.

"It still means you're being followed," Kuroro pointed out as he took his seat in the chair while Kurapika sat himself on the bed next to it. Then sensing it again, his head turned to the door. "What now?"

"What?" Kurapika questioned, following the man's direction. Surprise caught him when Kuroro looked back at him, face slightly twitched into a frown.

"You don't feel that?" The man asked. After getting a blank expression from the boy, he rose. And again, Kurapika's hand seized him. Before he made another move, the aura he felt behind the door was gone. Only then did Kuroro looked back at the boy and explained, "A nen-user. Not as near as strong, but still a nen-user with good use of Setsu. At your level, you should have felt it. You didn't?"

Kurapika shook his head with a slight bothered expression.

"Your control of nen hasn't been back entirely. You would have to wait out for a day or two, just like the state of your eyes," Kuroro said as he studied the boy. "Are you going to be all right by yourself?" Kuroro asked, and received the strangest look from the boy. So he added, "Your nen…you wouldn't know if a nen-user is nearby."

The explanation at the end failed to serve much as his indifference, Kurapika was already flabbergasted. _Kuroro was worrying about him?_ For whatever reason that was. "I'll be fine. My senses still did catch on a bad intention. By the way, not every nen-user is a threat. This guy may have nothing to do with us." Kurapika was even more stunned with himself to look at things in a positive way as such.

Well, one of them had to be. If not, someone's blood was going to be shed.

With those words, Kuroro couldn't help but fix his eyes on Kurapika, deciding against saying what was on his mind. He had no idea how Kurapika had made it until now as the last living Kuruta. What he knew now was that Kurapika had been made public by the Mafia's underground site. Kuroro had made sure he'd eliminated everyone involved at that time, but there must have still been a leak of information. Someone who was interested in getting the Kuruta eyes, or probably the last living Kuruta himself. It wouldn't be a surprise if someone was to pursue Kurapika.

That thought alone _bothered_ Kuroro so damn much.

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After midnight, they arrived at the airport. Both being top-notch travelers, they needed not bother the process of getting tickets. Thus, they went on getting themselves a schedule to a different destination.

"Maybe you should come with me," Kuroro said minutes away before his departure.

"No way, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near Hisoka and you and when you fight," Kurapika responded curtly, making a face. "I'll wait for you at the Attique." Seeing the sudden change of Kuroro's attention, Kurapika followed the man's sight of direction. Behind him must be have been someone that Kuroro was surely suspecting. But Kurapika couldn't see no one out of ordinary among the ocean of crowd at the airport.

He wasn't even sure if there was someone after them, Kurapika turned back to Kuroro. One look at the man and he knew even Kuroro might have had only caught glimpse of the suspicious individual.

"He's fast," Kuroro said as he moved towards the direction he suspected, and away from his terminal.

There was something inside of Kuroro that Kurapika could see through. That kind of eyes Kuroro had were the same as back there at the Mafia mansion. Kurapika had to reach out and stopped him. "Hold it! Are you thinking of wasting away that guy!?"

Keeping his eyes far ahead, and expression blank, Kuroro ignored Kurapika at first. But then he couldn't help it but look at the boy when Kurapika rounded from behind and situated himself right in front of Kuroro. Then he had to let out a sigh, and ran a hand through his hair in boredom manner. "Fine, I won't kill." _'For now.' _"But that's only because I trust you to not be harmed while I'm away. So don't get hurt or worse, _kidnapped_ like the last time."

Kurapika's face colored, retorting, "I was sick!" Then he felt stupid. Why did he have to defend himself like a child?

"You still are, and your eyes aren't working properly. Same goes with your nen," Kuroro pointed out the obvious.

"I'll manage," the boy said, closing his eyes in detached manner.

"If anything comes up-"

"-I'll make a call, got that." Kurapika haeded off the man's advice. He reopened his eyes, he fixed a stare on the man's slight surprise face, "That's the last call for you. Off you go!" He shooed the man away, shoving his hands on the man's back.

"Okay," Kuroro said, almost in a whispering voice. Before he began to walk the direction that the boy was pushing him to, he reached one hand out and lightly brushed against Kurapika's cheek. "See you then." With that, he walked away.

Fortunately, Kuroro didn't look back, else he would have seen Kurapika so out of place. Who was he to have his face feeling like it was on fire? Who was Kuroro to have done such a gesture with him? But above all else, why didn't he feel like decapitating Kuroro's hand? With those line of thoughts, Kurapika's face twitched in resentment, embarrassment, but amongst these things, it also brought a somewhat positive feeling he couldn't quite describe. _'Urgh, what the heck…' _Deciding it wouldn't be a good choice wrecking his brain over it, he made his way to his terminal.

Kurapika got onto the airship. No sooner than he did that, he felt eyes on him as he strolled along the corridor of the airship. Stealing a quick glance, he still saw no one. Kurapika hated to get too ahead of himself. But he took Kuroro's words for granted. Whoever had been tailing him, if there was any, must have been unearthly fast. Or else, Kurapika would have noticed it, regardless of his nen's status.

_'Oh well,' _Kurapika _really _hoped he was wrong. After all, there were too many things weighing down on him. Figments of imagination did occur to him from time to time. So, he'd settled himself in his private room and spent his time in solitude.

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Once the airship landed, Kurapika headed out of the airport. He no longer felt the indication of pursuit. He sighed in relief at the thought, he wouldn't want to leap into any unnecessary battle.

To Kuroro's prior housing, Kurapika went. In front of what seemed to be an old mansion, the gate lock was rusted shut with small limbs and thicket of plants. Not bothering with undoing what had been tied, he leaped up over the fence to get to the other side.

The front door was locked as well. Kurapika circled around the house and got in through the window. Only when he was inside the structure did he realize that he should have got some form of lighting with him. He'd been too used to having Kuroro lighting the candles whenever they stayed in places such as this.

Not that he minded, he'd been living through all kinds of condition since five years ago. Given that the Kurutas never carried money and associate with the outside worlds, they had everything they needed in their own land.

Back when Kurapika had to leave his hometown, he had no cash to put himself into a decent bed. He could have used gold and silver from his clan, but he didn't have a heart to do so when all the bodies of his kins were six feet under the cold soil. Only when he had became a Hunter did he start to allow himself the luxury of comfort.

His head jerked at the thought. Shaking his head, Kurapika willed those memories away. He wouldn't want to worsen things now that he was actually started to feel at peace. He focused on things at hand.

The two story house was old and only a bit dusty, thanks to the clean air in Attique. All the furniture were somewhat intact. Checking around the house a bit for something he could use, he found candles and the remains of them in the huge hallway and in one master bedroom on the second floor. Kuroro had been here after all.

Kurapika lit the candles and settled himself in the hall. Nothing to do besides to wait, putting himself in this passive position. The night was a bit chilly and time sure passed by so slow for a waiting Kurapika. Old furniture made subtle sound, the grandfather clock struck an hour, the candles hissed with flames from time to time; other than these, everything else were quiet.

Kurapika continued to sit in solitude, staring at the flames. Something crawled past right in front of him: a mid-sized spider. The flame reflected Kurapika's eyes, but they no longer turned red by the sight of a spider.

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Miles and miles from where Kurapika was sat with occupied mind, two nen-users were engaged in a deathly battle. Once exchanging another fatal blow, they distanced themselves onto opposite ends of the open field in hinterland surrounded by high, blue terrains.

"I am not amused," Hisoka said, his eyes narrowed.

Kuroro kept silent, his mind reading the atmosphere. The former-Spider number 4 seemed to be bothered to a great extent. What could be bothering him now? Didn't he get what he'd asked for? Weren't they fighting themselves to death right at this very moment?

"You're not even thinking about stealing my ability," Hisoka stated.

_'And isn't that good for you?' _Kuroro wondered.

"Are you sure that you're giving me all you've got? I can't believe I'm not feeling bin-bin!" Last two words came out almost as a screech in Hisoka-ish way, furious and perverted. He slapped his hand against his forehead, his body twisted in snake-liked fashion.

_'I just want this to end, especially when he's like that…' _Kuroro thought sourly, his eyes strayed to the side, avoiding an eyesore from the jester.

"You just want this to end quickly."

Kuroro blinked. More often than not, Hisoka couldn't really read him, at least not as much as to know what his intention was. This time, it seemed like he did.

"Are you worrying about _something_ that you don't have a heart to fight?" Hisoka felt the sudden change in atmosphere. With a mischieveous smile, he went on, "Oh, hit the nerve, didn't I? Come to think of it, where is he? That little Kuruta of yours."

Then it dawned on Kuroro. He spoke, "I see. You informed those kids about Kurapika's capture because you want them to take him away from me."

Hisoka's nod, along with that sly smile got Kuroro thinking. If Hisoka's desire was to get Kurapika out of the way so he could fight him, then why bother telling the kids about Kurapika when he declared that he'd kill Kurapika when he found him. Unless Hisoka still wanted Kurapika alive for whatever reason, then he must have not expected Kuroro to kill the boy.

If it were for the latter reason, then Hisoka must have known. Was it the same with the entire Ryodan? Remaining silent, Kuroro kept his face what did he know about his face? If Hisoka's taunt struck a nerve, did that mean his face gave something away? Something even unknown to himself?

"Unlike you, I do worry. Things like: I hope my unripen fruit isn't killed by someone else, because that person has to be me," Hisoka said and pointed straight to Kuroro, "You don't know how to worry before, but now you're experiencing it. And it's affecting our fight – it ruins our fight, or merely the fun and the thrill of it."

Kuroro made a 'huh?' face, working to register what Hisoka meant. It was true, the feeling he was having right now. The fact that his mind wasn't entirely on the fight but miles away from here where the last Kuruta could have been, was foreign to him. To worry about something, was…_new_.

Hisoka's face switched from expression to expression, like he always did. Then it came down to the thrist-for-blood look on his face as he finally said, "If I kill Kurapika, would you have a heart to fight me?"

They let the silence pass by as Hisoka studied his former leader closely. Kuroro's face was shrouded in darkness under the cover of huge clouds above that passed by in the night.

"Hisoka."

"Speaking at last, eh?"

"If you do that, I will not fight you…_at all_."

"I see, calm as ever. You might have caught on me, but your vibes are now giving off slaughter. That explains a lot."

"Let's end this fight," Kuroro said, disregarding Hisoka's riddles. He strode purposefully to Hisoka.

"Right, let's end it now," Hisoka responded, and surprised Kuroro by drawing his decks of cards with one hand, allowing them to be blown away by the wind. Once his hand was empty, he clapped and smiled sweetly. He then turned his back to Kuroro as he spoke, "It ends here."

"Heh?" Kuroro uttered with a slight frown.

"It's over. I don't want to fight you when you're not here. I've waited for years, to wait longer than this is a pain. But that was when I have thought you've already ripen." He craned his head enough to glance at Kuroro, "But now _I see it,_ even when I've never expected that this, so to say - exclusive relationship of yours with Kurapika - could even ripen both of you _more_. Especially _you,_ Kuroro. When that time comes, I'll claim you both."

_'So that's that for now?' _Kuroro had stopped a distance away from Hisoka.

The jester began to walk away, "I'll go back to the Ryodan after months to see that I what I said is true. See you there, _Danchou_."

"Hisoka."

The jester stopped, looked back, sensing the importance of this call. Nothing but graveness stared out of Kuroro's dark eyes.

"Kurapika is _mine_."

Hisoka's only respond was a smirk. He turned around with a wave of hand and disappeared into the night.

Left in the middle of battle ground, with somewhat unfinished business, Kuroro let out a long sigh. _'Not only the Hunter License bounty, the Mafia and whosoever wants a claim on the last Kuruta, and now Hisoka…' _Kuroro's eyes widened at the flow of thoughts. He couldn't shake this feeling of off him since he had left the airport. He lifted his gaze to the sky where dawn was coming and trailed off in the air. "Worry, huh?"

_'This isn't the first time though. This is the same feeling that I had when Kurapika was taken away from me. Are they the same?'_

He had yet understood it. Somehow, a far away past came across his thoughts. With Kurapika, it seemed like the boy had just brought back what he'd forgotten as his humanity…once.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Back to the east of Attique, Kurapika was getting impatient. He didn't like the feeling he was having right now. Was he worrying? He knew he couldn't deny it, but to worry about his mortal enemy was absurd.

He picked himself up and walked over to look out the window, the sky was red with dawn. Then his eyes strayed lower on their own to search for the ground where a person he was supposedly waiting for would arrive. When he realized what he was doing, he shoved his hands on the window ledge and closed his eyes. "No, I'm not worrying about him. Only if he dies, I would lose the source in finding the eyes, that's all to it." Then again, he felt so stupid of vainly trying to convince himself.

"Hey."

Kurapika's head jerked, swiftly spun around.

Kuroro was standing right where Kurapika had been sitting earlier, with his usual apathetic demeanor, face typically expressionless. Aside from those, his overall looked completely torn up and so wreck, much the worse for wear. Well, Kurapika had a first-hand experience to what one would look like when he fought with Hisoka.

For a moment, Kurapika was at the lost for how to react. The man must have already came in a while ago.

"Has anyone followed you?" Kuroro asked first thing.

Struck by a question he didn't expect, Kurapika found himself having to stumble for words, "Eh…No?"

When Kuroro's poker face eased into what seemed to be a relief, his eyes fell upon Kuroro's form. Surely, there must have been at least one awful wound under those garments that Kuroro worn. From the looks of it, standing upright was already a difficulty for the man.

"Good," Kuroro said, smirking. "You don't look like you've slept too. Stayed up waiting for me?"

"Well, who could sleep in situation like that?" Kurapika bit back, but his voice was surprisingly free of sour tone. He observed Kuroro for a while. It seemed like the man wasn't going to mention about his fight with Hisoka, therefore Kurapika wouldn't pry.

"You should get some sleep. We won't be looking for the eyes until this late evening because-" Kuroro's eyes suddenly become heavy. "I have to take a nap-" he'd yawned, "-if you don't mind."

Flabbergasted at how child-like Kuroro Lucifer had reacted, Kurapika's mouth fell open slightly, but regained his composure once a small chuckle from the man floated over. He nodded. The man had after all, didn't sleep at all since he'd come to – so to say rescue. On that note, he said, "I'm not rushing as that."

"Hmm?" Kuroro's face was etched with pure surprise before he smiled.

Again, Kurapika wasn't sure what he was seeing was real. Kuroro's expression became so unwind, something he'd never expected. Did he hit his head when he fought with Hisoka?

"See you when I wake then," Kuroro said as he turned his back to the boy, "But do call me if something arises." With that, he made his way away.

"Ah! Wait!" Kurapika called without thinking. Once Kuroro looked back, he didn't really know how to put it forward, "Aren't you injured?"

"So what?" Kuroro asked in ignorance.

"Er," _Was Kuroro dense now?_ "You know…my ability-" He didn't finish, sensing the negative atmosphere around Kuroro.

For a long moment, Kuroro stared at Kurapika with an unreadable expression, before it was shown in a disapproval stare. "Kurapika. You have to know that _this _is not the reason that I want you with me."

Kurapika was taken aback, but also gave a piece of his mind, "Of course, I know. Even if it is, you know damn well that you can't use me." Kurapika took one step forward, fisting and saying in slight frustration that he couldn't explain this, "Just that-!"

Kuroro waited as the boy didn't finish. He insisted, curious, "Just what?"

Half of Kurapika's mind was reeling with the need of reason. Yet he couldn't think of one. Jerking his head away, Kurapika looked anywhere but at the man. Frustration was written on his face, and an aggravated noise escaped his throat, "Nothing – wah!" He gasped as a hand pressed against his temple, then circling it as if teasing. He almost glared at the man, almost. For when he looked up, Kuroro was smiling warmly at him. The kind of smile he'd never imagined would be on the Genei Ryodan leader's face.

"Thanks, but I'm fine," Kuroro said, and retreated his hand. He turned around, "Now I'd like to sleep, if you'll excuse me." He turned around again, and walked away.

Kurapika didn't follow, but his eyes did. Until the moment the man swayed but quickly regained his posture before he reached the stairs to the second floor, Kurapika had to step in. He grabbed the man's shoulder, and while Kuroro hadn't anticipated that, Kurapika shoved to park the man down on the third step of the stairs. The gesture wasn't quite gentle that Kuroro hissed, his face etched with pain.

"Ah? It didn't work." Kurapika said in disappointment. "I expect you to clutch where it hurts so I can locate the injury since you're not going to say it. Seems like you don't normally do what everyone would do."

"And you're the one to say?" Kuroro said with a mock grin, pain still lingered on his face. Kurapika, honestly, I'm fine-" His saying was cut off by his own grunt in pain. It seemed like their positions were switched. This time, it was Kurapika's turn to catch him off guard when the boy's hand pressed against his mortal wound.

"Here?" Kurapika asked, lifting his eyes to Kuroro but he didn't wait for response, instead, slid Kuroro's overcoat aside and lifted his shirt to examine the purplish mark on the pale skin on the man's sides, "Broken ribs?"

"You don't have to-"

"Would you just tell me so I can get it done and over with? You let me heal you back then before, why not now?" Kurapika reasoned, but received a grim stare from the man.

"That wound might have weighed on your conscience, this one doesn't. You're going to regret doing this," Kuroro warned, seizing Kurapika's advancing hand. That did it; the boy was stunned and speechless.

Kurapika's insides seemed to be battling for a long moment. But when Kuroro was about to push himself up, Kurapika didn't let him. He stared into the man's eyes, "I might, but I can't let you walk around with these injuries." Out of his own words, Kurapika's mind finally produced something plausible to justify himself. He spoke, "You're going to help me find the eyes, right? How far could you go with these injuries?"

The sudden statement almost made Kuroro laugh. It was already obvious that the boy had just thought of that only a moment ago. One look at the boy, and he knew the Kuruta could be so persistent in times like this. Sighing, Kuroro finally said. "Two. Lower right ones." Then on a second thought, "Are you su-"

"Please shut up," Again, Kurapika overlooked the statement. Then he concentrated on his Holy Chain.

Another amusement to Kuroro. Only this little Kuruta who had the nerve to disrupt his words and ordered him to shut up. Kuroro had no choice but to just watch as the boy healed him, feeling his pain alleviate in an instant. As Kurapika did his task, Kuroro observed, "You don't look quite happy, but you held nothing against this."

"I would appreciate you holding back your comment," Kurapika said as he retracted his chain jail. He looked to the side, with the far away expression. _'When you came back, I'm not even sure if my feelings are negative or positive. But there's a relief there. I don't really know what to do with that.' _Trying to push the thought aside, he got himself up and told the other as well, "Now you can go away."

"Right," Kuroro responded but before going away he placed a hand on the blond head. "Thanks, I appreciate that."

Pretty much the same way he did before, he left the boy stood stunned at the very spot.

That was the end for the day. For the first time since Kurapika was forced to join the Ryodan, he was given a free space to sleep separately from Kuroro. The morning after was spent with six hours Kuroro's sleeping. The next day arrived when Kuroro woke up at twelve. He didn't find Kurapika anywhere in the mansion but he went knowingly into the woods closed to the mansion. He found Kurapika there as expected.

The boy was sitting on one of the boulder; he had his eyes closed in concentration. But they opened when Kuroro ambled towards him. Kurapika looked at the man while his aura floated in calm wave about him.

"How are your eyes?" Kuroro asked.

Letting his aura subside, Kurapika turned to the man. A bit surprised at the man's feature but didn't take it into account, he replied, "Fine now, I guess. Hasn't hurt since then."

Kuroro, now, was just the same as when Kurapika met him back at the Attique. No overcoat, just the long sleeve shirt and trousers in black; hair was let down which made him looked years younger than his age.

"Good," He said with a smile. The smile that made Kurapika wanted to throw something at him just because it looked too innocent for his own good.

"I feel like breakfast…and coffee." Kuroro said.

Kurapika couldn't believe what he'd just heard. "Excuse me?"

"I want a decent breakfast. And I'm sure you need it too. Let's go grab something to eat; I know a good café near here." Kuroro said, pointing a finger to some particular direction to prove his point.

_'Kuroro…going to a café?' _ Kurapika's jaw dropped slightly, but he collected himself. _'Okay what's wrong with that? He was technically human after all, he needs food.' _Just that for the past times he'd been with him, all they'd been eating was the food his Spider's comrade had brought (by means of stealing, Kurapika reckoned) for them. Edible, but not really a good food. And they'd only eat in their living quarters, never in public place. They even barely ate, for that matter.

Talking about food, yes, Kurapika had just realized he would need to feed his empty stomach before it eats itself too. So why not?

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Note:** As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. And please visit my profile page about HxH/KuroKura's talk. Thanks!


	2. Ch 2 the Other Side of You

I know most of you are waiting for CO, I'm working on it, almost done :)! Please have this for a time being...

_Special thanks: Yumii for beta reading._

**Chapter 2 the Other Side of You**

_He should have known. _

It was the café of their second encounter, where Kurapika had seen Kuroro loitering about.

'_A good café near here, he say?' _That had meant Kuroro must have been here more than once. Kurapika thought about it and started to feel annoyed by the knowledge. He'd frequented to this café more than any other ones in Attique. The food was good and the tea was great, and despite all that, it was not too crowded.

One more note to keep to himself. _If Kuroro knew this, he'd mess with his nerves again!_

When the waitress came to hand them the menu, both of them didn't bother to look and said in unison, "Benedict Egg Atlantic."

Kurapika looked incredulous while Kuroro wore a bit of surprised, child-like expression. But before he'd talk anything about it, Kuroro preferred if the waitress left with their orders first. He told the young lady: "-and a cup of Atlantic Coffee," then beckoned to the boy, "You?"

"Eh…Atlantic Tea." Kurapika said without thinking. He watched as Kuroro collected the menu on his and Kurapika's side, then handed them to the waitress in a civilized manner…even with what someone would call it a charming 'thanks.'

_What the heck was that behaviour?_

Once the waitress left with a blush on her face, Kuroro turned a smiling face to Kurapika. That childlike expression still on his face. "You've been here often?"

"Eh? No," Kurapika stumbled upon his own words. _No way Kuroro was going to mess with him about 'fate' a-frigging-gain!_

"Then why would you order without looking at the menu?"

"It's written on the black board in front of the café."

Kuroro looked unconvinced but let that part go when he came up with another one, "And seems like we have the same taste,"

"It's their special menu, many would have ordered it," Kurapika retorted.

"You know last time was the same too. You probably don't remember since at that time your mind was pretty _occupied_ with me." Kuroro leant in towards Kurapika, his grin widening.

It made the brow above the Kuruta's eyes twitch. _What on earth was the Genei Ryodan leader getting at? Behaving like a normal human being and a damn happy-go-lucky one at that! _

"You look tensed," Kuroro commented.

_Straight to the point._ Kurapika had been trying to keep his face neutral but the surface was starting to crack with frustration rising up on it. Why wouldn't he be? Somehow it had reminded him of the day of their second encounter. Although this time things were different, he couldn't help the feelings that ingrained in his memory.

_And Kuroro was behaving…strange? _Thinking back, Kuroro had been behaving this way sometimes back then too when they were in public eyes. Kurapika had always thought it was the man's act to blend in.

'_Is this his act? This innocuous smiling face of his.'_

Before he said anything, the waitress came back with a cup of coffee for Kuroro and a tea for Kurapika.

Still quiet, Kurapika only looked at the man who took a sip at his coffee and looked content. Seconds later, the man's gaze met Kurapika's observing ones as he said, "You've been_ through _a lot, Kurapika. I suggest you relax while you can. Don't worry, I'm sure the Kuruta eyes are not going anywhere. We'll just go for them after this."

Kurapika didn't know how to respond to that. True, maybe he wasn't as unwind as Kuroro was, but still. He retorted, "Hey, at least I'm _sitting_ and _eating_ with _you_, in a _café_. What more do you expect?" _He hadn't even choked it out of the man to where the eyes were, or tried to look for them himself. Hadn't he been patient enough? _

A chuckle.

'_What part of it is funny?' _Kurapika wondered as he sipped his tea. Not long after, their foods were served and they started eating. The mood and atmosphere was becoming too light for Kurapika. His eyes couldn't stop stealing observations on Kuroro, whose expression and features exhibit that he was having a good time.

The man was just too…too _normal_…for the lack of better terms. He'd spent a long enough time to figure it out that this didn't seem like Kuroro's act. Then where was that feared Genei Ryodan leader anyhow? Where was that menacing vibes about him? At the tail of that thought, Hisoka's information came back to him.

'_Spiders gather for a thievery. And after the task is done, he'd disappeared without a trace.' _

"What are you wondering about?" Kuroro suddenly asked, knowing.

Caught off guard for a moment, Kurapika had to collect himself. '_Well, if he offers to answer himself.' _"Hisoka told me you Spiders gather once in a while for thievery. Once it's finished, where do you normally go?"

"Around," Kuroro answered without so much as a thought. When the boy raised his eyebrow, he clarified, "Around the world, I mean. Just traveling, mostly places with historical sites and old texts."

"Eh?" Kurapika couldn't help but blurt._ Really? Did he just answer right away?_ "Hisoka said you're hard to track down…"

Another chuckle, and: "I'm not hiding from no one. I'm just cautious, especially those that are after me like Hisoka. But yeah, that's pretty much it."

The answer was…again, normal. Not what he had expected from the Genei Ryodan leader. _Traveling?_ But the man wasn't lying, that much he could tell.

"What do you think I do in my spare time? Killing? Robbing? All the time? No," Kuroro added.

Months ago, Kurapika would have taken that as snide remarks coming from the man attempting to provoke him, but here and now, Kuroro was saying that with the friskiest look on this face. There was no ill intent, no incitement in that line he'd just said. Nothing that could incite Kurapika.

Still, that kind of innocuous look on the man's face made him wanted to throw something at Kuroro again, and therefore he did, failing to restrain it this time round. A handy object in a form of pepper shaker happened to be right next to him.

_Puk!_

A sound of said pepper shaker hitting right in the middle of Kuroro's forehead, where his tattoo was under that bandage wrapping around his head.

Kurapika's eyes went wide with the sight of what had unfolded in front of him.

Managing to catch the fallen pepper shaker (from his forehead) in his hand, Kuroro's eyes drew shut in dismay as he put the pepper aside, deciding against his will to return the gesture. His lips curved into a crooked smile obviously holding back infuriation as he opened his eyes to glare at his assaulter as he growled, "What was that for?" Then, he sneezed from the small pepper sprayed about him as an after effect.

Dumbfounded was not enough to describe Kurapika's expression. He was flabbergasted, to the point of shocking. Sure he had thrown the object quick and hard enough, but they both knew it wouldn't really bother with the Genei Ryodan leader's skull, but still…Why?

"Why didn't you dodge it?" The boy almost exclaimed, his eyes widening.

"I didn't see it coming," The man replied, rubbing a bit on his forehead with his brows furrowed.

"_Why?" _

"I didn't know hanging around you would be no different from my comrades. I was wrong to let my guard down. " Kuroro finally turned his annoyed eyes on Kurapika. To his even more surprised, those dark eyes that months ago would have looked at him grimly, when Kuroro was annoyed at him, now was looking like a little brother being teased by his bigger bro.

That look resembled Gon's when Killua knocked him with a fist on his head whenever he _just felt like it_.

_Letting his guard down? In front of him? Again?_

Then Kurapika couldn't hold it back in anymore. He set down the fork, putting everything aside. Then he leaned in a bit over the table to where the man sat across as his voice gotten lower, "Okay, seriously, what the _hell_ is wrong with you? Did you lose a screw somewhere or did Hisoka hit your head hard?"

"Hisoka broke my ribs but you're the one hitting me in the head," Kuroro retorted, again, like a little offensive brother.

Stunned, Kurapika was rendered mute. One day, he woke up and Kuroro Lucifer was a completely different person. _What is the world coming to!? _A sudden urge to turn the table over filled him.

Seeming to know what the boy's mind was going through, a soft sign escaped Kuroro's lips. He put down his fork as well as he half-heartedly wore a stern expression that he would wear in times of being a Danchou. In a different tone of voice, he started, "Okay. I'll make this clearer, Kurapika. I didn't lose a screw nor did my head suffer a concussion. And no, you're not delusional. I'm sure you could tell I'm not faking it. _This _is who I am. It might be easier for you to see that this is my alter ego."

The boy's lips were parted slightly, still stunning. But he was all ears.

"To my comrades, I have to be Danchou for them. You're not my subordinate; I need not be Danchou to you. Believe it or not, being Danchou all the time drains me. As I have suggested to you, relax while you can, as I'm doing it now."

It took a while for that to sink in, then Kurapika comprehended the meaning of this. "So this is who you were before you became Danchou?"

A blink, and a chuckle. Yet again Kuroro was amused, "I didn't say that, but how did you figure that out?"

Shaking his head, Kurapika said, "Just taking a wild guess."

"A lie," Kuroro shot back with a knowing grin on his face.

The blond's expression hardened but he couldn't be angry since it was true. He had a knack for reading people, but he could never read Kuroro, not well enough at least, up until this time. After all, the thirst for revenge had pretty much made him see nothing but red when he was around the man.

"I just have to tell myself to bear that in mind, else, I would think that you're out of your mind every time you're in this alter ego of yours," Kurapika muttered, eyes averted to his side.

"Think what you have to, I'm fine either way. As long as you take it easy…a bit more," he added those last bits, upon the edgy look on the boy's face intensified. No last Kuruta was going to _take it easy_.

He was not going to _rest _until he achieved his two lifetime goals.

As soon as that thought came to mind, Kuroro felt his mood descend. The Kuruta seemed to notice it too but Kuroro resumed eating in a detached manner as he said, "Eat. Once we're done, we'll go get the eyes."

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Buried?" Kurapika echoed what Kuroro. _Had he heard it right?_

"Don't worry. They're in a decent container and decent spot to hide away from anyone. I applied nen to hold it in place as well." Kuroro explained as they were heading back to the other side of the forest that situated behind their current living quarters.

"Why were they buried? Haven't you sold all of them to Black Market?" Kurapika questioned as he fell beside the man's footstep.

"A whole lot of them, yes. But the Kuruta eye was the only object that I wasn't a hundred percent sure about selling away. Therefore I kept two pairs in this city, just in case I feel like having them back. One is in my hideaway, another…we might have to work a bit on it, but it shouldn't be too hard for us." Kuroro halted as he lost the presence next to his side. He looked back and wasn't surprised to see the boy standing back a meter away, head hung low with his face darkened.

He knew the boy would fume at this explanation. _Why robbed the entire clan of their lives to get the eyes just to sell them away later? Such a disgraceful act towards the deaths. _Not wanting a fight to start, he had to mediate, "Look, consider it a good thing that at the very least one pair of eyes didn't fall into anyone _else_'s hands. You could go all out at me of how things wouldn't have turned out this way if I hadn't robbed them from your people in the first place. But what could you do now to fix that past? What's done is _done_. "

After a short span of silence, Kurapika finally gazed up at the man. One look at Kuroro, and he knew the other was waiting for nothing but himself to calm down. Kuroro's words and how he said it in such … compromising tone sank in. Weird as it was, Kurapika too, didn't want a fight. The man was right and after all he was leading him to the eyes. He just had to accept that fact. With eyes closed, he concentrated on quelling his surfacing anger. When he drew his eyes open, he resumed his walking and went ahead of the man.

"You're right. Let's go then," He said, surprised at the first two words he'd made and knew he wasn't the only one.

Behind Kurapika, Kuroro had to smile. _Did the boy notice at all that they already talked about Kuruta clan? When Kurapika used to be so worked up much more than this whenever Kuroro mentioned about his clan?_

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

They walked in complete silence, going deeper and deeper into the forest.

A déjà vu feeling of the time they travelled through Lulu forest settled in Kurapika's mind, although there were differences between the two forests. Atlantic Forest was much less hostile; the woods held no wild animals, only birdsong that hummed all along the way. As well as the sound of forest itself, the rustle of leaves as a breeze blew through the canopy. A splash of sunlight on the tree surface and the shadow of the trees falling on plants and sandstone boulder below them. It was peaceful - so peaceful it yet again reminded Kurapika of his home town forest even more than Lulu one.

Yet this time things were a whole lot different from when they trekked through the woods last time. Kurapika was well aware it was particularly his feelings toward the Genei Ryodan leader, no…it was _their _feelings towards each other. He wasn't aware what he was doing at the time until Kuroro turned to regard him with a slight smirk. Only then Kurapika almost jumped and looked away. _He wasn't looking at that man! He was just observing!_

Kuroro was amused by the colour that adorned the boy's face. He anticipated how awkward things were going to get between them from now on. But awkward and Kuroro didn't go along in one sentence, that would leave the poor Kuruta boy facing that experience all alone.

"I was thinking though," Kurapika trailed off after one throat clearing.

To Kuroro, it was most likely that he wanted to break that awkward air about him. The raven-haired man found himself having to hold back his 'pfft' and put on an attentive face to the boy.

"Why Attique? I mean why did you keep the eyes here of all places?"

"Attique is one of the most peaceful cities in the world. Also known for its reserving of cultural heritages, artifacts, and histories. I don't keep anything in my place back at Ryuuseigai, I believe here is the rightful place since of all the places I've been, here's the closest thing to Rukuso Forest," Kuroro said. Whether the boy would believe it or not, he _had _given a thought about this.

Kurapika blinked. For one, if this were under a normal circumstance regarding Kuroro's perception of the Kuruta heritage, it would have been an honour for the Kuruta clan. However, this was hardly the case. But still…it was enough to keep Kurapika's anger at bay. After all he was now, if sooner then he hadn't realized it, starting to give a _damn_ to what Kuroro Lucifer was truly thinking, his perception and his intention.

Then another question was dawned on him. _He had too many questions for his own good!_

"Then…if you'll be giving me back the eyes, won't you feel like having them back later?"

A bit surprised by that question that apparently was coming from Kurapika's curiosity, and without the follow up point like _'I'm not going to let you take it back,' _Kuroro replied, "No, I will no longer feel like having those eyes back anymore."

Kurapika's frown deepened in inquisitiveness. "Why?"

The man stopped and stared at the boy in slight disbelief. _Seriously? Did he not know? _Then he turned his attention away from the path they'd been treading on and to Kurapika.

Amidst the tall towering trees, sunlight and shadow fell on surfaces with unruly beauty. Kuroro observed that Kurapika stood among it was such a meshing of nature. His one hand reached for Kurapika's cheek. The boy gasped but that was all he did. Next moment, Kurapika was still even when his thumb was brushing next to the boy's eyes. "Why would I want the other Kuruta eyes when I have you here?"

Every fiber of Kurapika's head retorted. But for what it looked like forever, he realized it now. His heart didn't agree with his head. It had been the second time already, this kind of touch from Kuroro…how much it was affecting him that he wouldn't be able to deny it.

_How long has it been?_ Five years prior to losing his clan, since someone had touched him with such affection? That five years ago had been none other than his parents and his fellow Kurutas. After the massacre, the thought of human contact never occurred to him. He didn't realize that something inside of him had died, and now Kuroro was reviving that part inside of him. _How could that be?_

Not knowing what to do, he remained still as a tree.

"Yours are the most vibrant among all of them," Kuroro noted as he gazed into the last Kuruta's eyes.

"All of us are just the same," Kurapika stated, keeping his tone detached.

Drawing his eyes shut briefly with a chuckle, Kuroro countered, "To me, you're different."

They were close; too close for Kurapika's comfort. Yet he wondered, was he really uncomfortable, or it was just his mind telling him this while his heart felt otherwise? Especially when their faces were inches away, _how could he not see the reflections in Kuroro's eyes?_

They weren't as emotionless as he had always perceived them to be. With rays filtering through the tree canopy, Kuroro's usual dark eyes held the soft greyish-violet hue and something much more than the eyes of a murderer. _How had he not seen that until now?_

Both stood transfixed to each other among the stillness of the forest.

Until…

Kuroro's sense suddenly picked up on the third party. _Again._ He stopped, eyes searching the area surrounding them.

The thought that someone had been tailing Kurapika had bothered him enough, not to mention _interrupting _his every damn moment was getting on his nerves, despite Kuroro himself.

_This guy must be done away with his interference. _That was Kuroro's foremost objective. He could deal with Kurapika's lecture later. But first, the death of this annoying nen-user.

"Someone's following us?" Kurapika asked, catching on the man's behavior.

There was a three seconds pause from Kuroro before he said with his face turning one of mock sheepish, "No…thing is…I think we're lost"

"Excuse me?" Kurapika thought he had heard it wrong.

"We're _lost._"

"Ehh!?" Kurapika made a face.

"And I think…" Kuroro reached for the back of his pant pocket, not feeling what he needed, "I forgot the map."

Kurapika stared at the man in disbelief while the other continued to wear that lost child expression, even with a hand absentmindedly scratch the back of his head. _Damn his alter ego again! Don't look so innocent! _It took a lot of effort not to yell those at the man. Kurapika sighed as he face-palmed; he really couldn't blame Kuroro though. This Atlantic Forest was vast and Kurapika himself didn't bother to research about it beforehand. _Just because Kuroro had looked so sure! _

"Anyhow, we still have time. If we cover a bit more ground, I might be able to recall the trail," Kuroro reassured with a grin.

"Eh…" the blond's brow knitted. But there wasn't anything else he could do anyhow, he just had to go with it. Though his mind kept racing, _'What's with this Kuroro Lucifer!?'_

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

Four hours later, the sun was hanging low on the horizon. After winding through moorland and highland, they found themselves on the trail that winded to a clear part of the woodland. Then the path led them into the deeper part of forested ravine before it ascended to the mountain plateau where the gorge situated between a row of high mountains on one side and a vast valley on the other.

"Finally," Kuroro said with so much accomplishment in his tone and on the look on his face.

_Really, he didn't have to emphasize with that look. It was too unlike Genei Ryodan leader he knew. _Kurapika narrowed his eyes with the thought and exhaustion.

"It's here," Kuroro declared as he meandered to the gorge where the solitary gigantic tree was. Its huge roots surrounding the tall tree that reached skyward, giving off the spiritual resonance of the forest. Kuroro knelt down to its root where two trunks bent over it.

Kurapika watched on as Kuroro reached to the trunks, his _nen_ flowed from his hands to the trunks. Seconds later, the man lifted those huge trunks off of the roots below it like the weight was nothing. Once the heavy trunks fell to the sides and out of the way, Kuroro, to Kurapika's surprise, started digging into the soil with his bare hands.

'_Oh well, he did say it's buried.' _Kurapika followed suit. One look at the huge tree and he felt homesick of how he used to sleep in a treehollow when he was a kid. He had to put that aside, he came here for a purpose. Once on his knees, the slight strain eased. He'd been trekking through the woods for the past hours due to Kuroro's _lost._ _Honestly, this man was showing too much unbelievable side of his. The next thing he could do was probably go chasing after a butterfly…wait, where did that come from!?_

Without words, he mirrored the man's action. The soil wasn't that hard but it wasn't soft either. Kurapika found it a bit difficult on the task without the shovel while he looked at Kuroro and the man seemed to be doing it effortlessly. Kuroro's hand was nothing like a trained assassin like Killua's. How he could kill people with bare hands was beyond Kurapika.

And how Kurapika didn't really mind when his hands touched Kuroro's so many times with the proximity now was also beyond him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

One meter down the hole, the first glimpse of the hardened material came into view. After a bit more of removing the dirt out of the way, the shape of the cylindrical container was clearly seen by the two.

"Want to reach for it? Use your nen to remove it." Kuroro suggested as he got himself up and stepped miles away to the nearby canal and washed the dirt off his hands. Glancing back, he could see the boy's anticipation looking between him and the eyes. _'He must have not expected thing to turn out this way. This kid is just taking everything too hard on himself.' _

At last, Kurapika bent down to reach in with the utmost care. With a small amount of nen applied, he drew the object out of the dirt hole and into the sunlight. There it was in his hands, a pair of his kindred eyes. Kurapika kept his eyes on them for a while. For having failed a lot at retrieving his clan's eyes for the past months, this was washing him with a sense of fulfillment.

Keeping the distance, Kuroro fixed his gaze on the boy. He would have smiled if not for the plan that he had since the moment he _lied_ that they were _lost._ His mind started the count…

_3…2…1_

One moment a smile was beginning to form on Kurapika's face, the next, the object of his attention was gone from his hands. Snapping back to his senses, his eyes caught the direction where something…someone had snatched the eyes right from his hands. It was that tall, lanky man who'd been following them around.

Up the rocky mountain he skipped up and away from them. Kuroro already hot in pursuit, Kurapika raced after nevertheless.

_So all this time he had been after them_…_no, most likely him in particular_. The fact that they hadn't sensed him meant he must have perfected his '_in_.' Either way, this was no time to berate himself for being so careless.

Both the thief and Kuroro were too fast, the distance between them and Kurapika was beginning to form. Yet Kurapika kept up. _No way in hell is the bastard getting away with this!_

Finally, he made it up to the top of the summit where he almost caught up with Kuroro. But once he did, his eyes shifted south to the long way down. Vertigo washed over him. The sight of that man running 90 degree down the crag like it was nothing stunned him. Kurapika took a step but a firm hand on his chest prevented him to move further.

"Don't be reckless. You find another way. I'll get the eyes back," Kuroro demanded, in authoritative tone Kurapika hadn't heard in a while. And the man too, glided down the summit. Then, the both of them were out of Kurapika's sight.

"Damn!" he cursed. He had to restrain himself from following them. As Kuroro said, he couldn't ninja down like them unless he risked his life for it. Among all the entangled thoughts, Kuroro's words stood out: he said he'd get the eyes back. Strange as it was, Kurapika believed he would.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Miles away at the bottom end of the tallest summit of Atlantic Forest, the thief came to a halt among the woods. Scanning his surroundings a bit, he thought he was well ranges away from his pursuers. He settled down near a river and trailed off to himself, "Geez, this is far more exhausting than I thought. But at least I don't have to kill that kid for the eyes."

"But I do have to _kill _you."

A deep baritone voice sent the chill down his spine. He dodged away with the eyes still in his arms and spun around. His eyes went wide at the sight of the man in black who had pursued him earlier. _'Didn't I lose him just now!?' _he thought and asked, "How did you...?"

The thief's expression was obvious to Kuroro that he hadn't at all expected someone to be able to catch up with him. "True, your _in _is flawless. I couldn't even pinpoint your location with my _En_, thus I had to lure you out." To distance himself from Kurapika, he knew the suspect was going to show himself. If he'd been following Kurapika, that meant he was after the eyes. As far as the world concerned, people who wanted to get their hands on the flame-colored eyes never wanted its owner to come along.

No one but Kuroro now.

"Seems like you don't want to trouble yourself getting the eyes from the boy, you'd fetch it from him." Kuroro disclosed. Normally, he need not talk much with the soon-to-die but this thief's _in_ did impress him. He deserved some parting gift.

"And who are you? His bodyguard?" the thief asked, falling into a fighting stance.

Kuroro need not answer that. He was the one with questions here…_lots _and _loads _of questions. But first thing first…he beckoned to the flame-colored eyes in the other's grip. He held out his hand, palm up. "That belongs to the boy, give them back."

The thief made a face. "You've gotta be kidding me, after all those trouble I've gone through…and you're going to kill me whether I give this back or not."

Kuroro's lips curved upward. "Fair enough." With no more time to waste, Kurapika could turn up at any moment, he had to finish this business before he did.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

_Pain. Pain. Pain. _

That was the only thing that kept circulating through every fiber of the thief's being. One moment he thought he was going to get away with the eyes, out and alive. Confident that he was fast and could outrun this man. After all, he knew that Kuruta boy had a sharp sense but he managed to outrun him. His _in_ was perfect - he made sure his escape route would not be pursued be anyone. One thing he had gravely miscalculated was this unknown man in black.

He'd been stalking the boy and this man on and off. At some point, the man had look stern, otherwise he was just stoic. But most of the time, he was all unwind and seemed to relax a lot. _He couldn't even dodge a pepper shaker for crying out loud!_ He forgot the map when going into the woods and spent a whole lot of time getting back on the right track. He looked cautious at times, but no murder intent whatsoever that he could catch on.

Even professional assassins carried the scent of death and blood with them all the time.

But this man had…_nothing_.

Then the thief realized in the time of his dying, of how this chilled-out and relaxed man he thought to be, had made him suffered beyond any ever done upon him.

This man could put out his killing intent to clean slate, one of the rarest ability even among the best of the best. An exceptional skill.

The man played a somewhat stoic, laid back, to the point of easy-going role. He at one point had even believed the man was just a traveling companion to the boy.

"You're _no_ bodyguard, but a true killer."

Said killer's lips curved upward. "At least you figured it out before you die." Kuroro got himself up from crouching to the level with the thief when heaving his almost last words. The thief could no longer stand nor run any faster with those legs of his anymore... because they were no longer connected to this body. "That's what you get for following _him_ around."

Words bore into the thief as he managed to spit his last words: "There are a lot more like me! They'll come after _that _Kuruta and the eyes!"

"And they _all _will end up like you," Kuroro returned, his voice from detached to frigid.

Hitching his last difficult breath, the thief died without the knowledge that his biggest mistake in life was his one wrong move in provoking the feared Genei Ryodan leader.

Drawing one of his ability out from the skill book, he used it to get rid of the body…and its ripped pieces. His questions were answered. Yes, a leak of information via the internet - the only thing that could go faster than him hunting down people_. How he began to despise information highway now._

This particular thief wanted the eyes in order to pass the test to get into the circle of mafia. His job description was to get the Kuruta eyes. He himself had no interest in the eyes and in killing if not necessary.

"Many more, huh?" As long as there was one Mafia or a body collector left on earth... no. Even a non-mafia - _Kuroro himself was no Mafia after all _- there was going to be someone targeting Kurapika.

Kuroro Lucifer had never been the one who wanted to rule the world. He didn't mind the body collector. As for Mafia, they weren't on best of terms but he could co-exist with them. However, he could never allow anyone to come near what was his and his alone.

His mind already ran with plan of how to eliminate them all, if that was the last thing he did. No matter how many they were out there, he could track from one person to another, and go to the root of the problem. But the question was how was he going to do that, if he had to keep Kurapika close to him at the same time? And if Kurapika knew it, which would most likely happen, it was going to be a lot more complicated.

Back to his current situation, it had been nine minutes. Kuroro meandered back to retrieve the Kuruta eyes where he had placed them safely earlier, next to the tree trunks not far from him. He had better go to Kurapika before the boy found him among this torturing ground where the scent of blood and death lingered.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

After returning to the trail, Kurapika didn't really know where to go. However his connection to the forest, especially this kind of quiet one was in his blood. The walk along the stream of river, where the wind blew would lead him to the place where he was supposed to be.

Forests always calmed his nerves. The smell of the grass, the earth, bed of flowers and streams of river, _then_…blood. His senses kicked in with alarm. Somehow, he knew where that scent was coming from, and he had to follow it.

As he had anticipated, he came across Kuroro who was walking along the same stream of river from the opposite direction. Upon seeing him, the man gave a bit of a smile. In his hands, he was carrying back the eyes that were stolen earlier.

Kuroro held out the cylindrical container as the boy rushed in. The youth's face filled with relief, his eyes locked with the Kuruta eyes that he didn't even spare a glance to Kuroro. Yet when he reached to take hold of the eyes from the man, he uttered with a faint smile on his lips. "Thank you."

How he had said in that soft, sincere tone was affecting Kuroro. Yet, as he had anticipated, Kurapika was going to know exactly how he got the eyes back.

After a lingering gaze on the eyes, Kurapika eventually collected himself and eyed the man. One look into those jet black eyes, he knew his sense of relief was going to be short-lived. The man already saw what was coming from him, Kurapika asked nevertheless, "Did you-?"

A firm nod confirmed Kurapika's suspicion.

A stunned look registered on the boy's face. There was no doubt about that. Kuroro carried a faint, fresh scent of blood and death with him. _'Why had he hoped so?' _Wasn't that the reason he worried in the first place when he couldn't catch up with them? Then another realization dawned on. "You planned to draw him out, did you?'

Another nod.

Kurapika went silent, head hung low, with blond bangs obscuring his eyes.

Anticipation filled Kuroro. At any moment now, the boy was going to flip it on him, lecture him at best, or curse and threaten to kill him at worst.

But none of that came.

Silence went on too long that Kuroro had to break it with a _'hey' _to the boy. With the tips of his fingers, he lifted the boy's chin up to face him. He had no intention of provoking the boy, but he questioned bluntly: "What's wrong? Shouldn't you be snapping at me by now?"

_No._

Once the boy's eyes were visible to him, he was taken aback to see the saddest look he'd ever seen on Kurapika's face. The boy's eyes turned a bit of reddish-orange, and they seemed to be on the verge of tears.

'_Alluring.' _…yes, but this wasn't the time.

"Are you…" Kuroro even faltered, but not for too long, "-not going to yell at me?" _What else could he say?_ The boy was just…sad. This was beyond him.

Shaking his head, Kurapika pursed his lips. With the inner turmoil, he too, didn't know what to say. He was angry as he should have been whenever the Spider killed someone; made it even worse that this kill was to get the eyes back for him. Then again, by now Kurapika knew all too well why Kuroro had done that. Just like what he did with that Makiya woman and those Mafia back at Dolinku Mansion.

Unlike the Spider no. 11, Ubogin who killed for fun or without feelings, Kuroro killed with purpose and intention, _now more than ever_. Kurapika knew exactly what kind of those purposes and intention were.

_Because he'd been down that road and he was the same._

His blood boiled whenever he was reminded of how his people had been hurt. He wanted the person responsible to suffer.

It made no difference if that poor bastard thief only wanted to steal the eyes from him. Kuroro hadn't killed to drill that _'kill or be killed'_ philosophy into him, nor was he doing it just to tick him off. He had killed _for _Kurapika.

It made him sick to the core but he sort of knew the feelings that resulted in the man's action. The feelings Kuroro had for him and that reflected the feelings of his own as well.

"Hey, you need not feel bad about it. I did it on my own accord," Kuroro stated, after taking a while to predict what was going through the boy's mind.

That just worsened it. This morning Kuroro Lucifer was just an ordinary guy. One who was civilized with people, frisky, to the point of charismatic, and most of all…human. Now he was the Spider again.

_Were those all an act to trick their pursuer?_

"Kurapika!"

A pale hand clapped in front of his eyes. He blinked at it.

"Focus, boy. You're drowning yourself somewhere inside of your head again. That's not helping any of us." Kuroro's expression took on a frown, his tone touched with concern.

He might have used to hate it a lot more than this…to admit that Kuroro was right. He had to focus; sort things out and find a way. He nodded to the man, his eyes going back to their normal state.

"We had enough for today. We'll look into the other one tomorrow," said Kuroro as he began to saunter, leading the way back.

Kurapika again knew it. Kuroro was not anywhere near exhausted. It was him…who was about to have an emotional circuit overflow. Again. As his feet began to saunter after the man, his eyes dropped from the man to the eyes in his hold and back to the man again.

'_This isn't going to work,' _he thought. _How many more people are going to die if Kuroro helps him find the eyes? _As far as Kurapika concerned, the answer was _'a lot.'_

He couldn't allow that to happen again.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

The rest of the day and night followed, with Kurapika spent the time sitting in one corner of the room gazing at the Kuruta eyes.

In the other room, Kuroro was tryingto sleep. Yes, _trying_. Sleep always came to him easily. _Why didn't it this time? _After a few tossing and turning –something he rarely did—it occurred to him. _Hell no, he did not just enter a period of change in his life. _

As per normal, he'd eliminate any cause that brought on such unease upon him. _'Not this time though,' _he thought, staring into the dark with the back of his hand on his forehead. He had thought Kurapika would be the only one having to face the hardship in this exclusive relationship (according to Hisoka) alone. But no - Kuroro was right there with him.

_How justice was served…_

'_There are lots who know! They'll come after that Kuruta!'_

As long as he breathed, he knew they'd always be someone who went after the Spiders. He was fine with that. He'd always been able to take the death of his comrades into his stride and moved on. But he didn't think he could do it with this _one._

Kuroro didn't even realize he was gritting his teeth.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

**Note: **Was Kuroro OOC? If you think so, please let me know how. I tried to keep him in character as much as I could, but I'm not too sure, even with those reasons.

Talk about Kuroro's lost and his forgetting the map, I got the idea from Drama CD. Yes, in DCD that I'd consider it cannon, he did get lost and forget the map, LOL.

'_Kuroro chasing after a butterfly.' _ XD, I got that from my beta-reader (thanks again :D), she meant to give me an example of OOC-ness but when I was writing this fic, that line just popped back up and I thought the pun would fit into the fic. Many Kurapika's fans depict him as butterfly…you get the picture ^^?

Review, please?


	3. Ch 3 Treaty

**Note: **Holy crap! 2 months since last update!? Why do I have a feeling that it had only been less than a month. No wonder why some readers told me NOT to drop the story already ^^" My bad! Time sure flies even though I have lots of time now that life becomes sort of boring almost everyday since I came back from Melbourne.

Anyhow, sorry for the long wait. And so I decided to make each chapter shorter. I just found out it's easier to do so. In compensation, I'll try to update more often. And yes, you fellow readers, please R&R!

_Special thanks to Yumiii for beta-reading._

**Chapter 3 Treaty**

When morning arrived, both males faced each other in the hallway with the similar countenance of extra bags under their eyes.

"Haven't you slept?" Kuroro asked in irritated tone. _Hadn't he told the boy to get enough rest?_

"I've dozed off for a few hours," the boy responded, looking sideways, then back at the man. "You're not better than me."

True, Kuroro _couldn't _sleep at all.

"I…want to talk about that thief yesterday," demanded Kurapika.

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do," Kurapika snapped with a glare. "Look, this is about me. I have to know."

One determined look was all it took for Kuroro to concede. He had thought Kurapika was better off not knowing. He wanted the boy to accept it that what he had done was on his own accord. He should have known that Kurapika was not going to change any more than he did.

They went to the foyer and sat themselves on the opposite couches. Kuroro recounted the event of him with that thief, leaving the details of his interrogation out. Kurapika had been listening attentively, quietly, nodding every now and then, and accepting everything.

Once Kuroro was done, he allowed silence to hang as long as Kurapika needed it to contemplate things over. Up until the boy clasped his hand and looked up at Kuroro after having his eyes cast low and deep in thought long enough.

"So now, I've probably being targeted by the Mafia, body collectors, or whoever that wants the Kuruta eyes, aren't I?" Kurapika reflected as he leaned his back against the cushion.

Said target's first gesture after all his disclosure had Kuroro surprised. "You don't look worried."

"Should I be? It's not far beyond expectation. Besides…" Kurapika almost glared at the man, all of the sudden. "I'm not _that _defenseless."

After all, they both knew that the Kuruta Clan was no stranger to violence. The Spiders were not the first ones to attack them for the eyes. They were simply the first to bring the whole clan down.

"Have you no fear?" Kuroro asked out of plain curiosity.

"That coming from a man who lives happily with death by his side every single day?" returned Kurapika with a slight frown on his face. When the man only nodded and beckoned him to elaborate, he closed his eyes in detached manner. "I don't fear death."

A small smile of sheer amusement of the boy's recklessness formed on Kuroro's lips, but disappeared as_ one _significant matter was dawned on him.

"You don't, but I-" he paused, his words couldn't catch up with his own thoughts and feelings, if there were any, now. _But he what?_

Kurapika's frown deepened at that unfinished remark but he sort of knew where it was going. Finding it hard to wrap his head around it, he rose from the cushion and declared, "Anyhow, my point is… I can protect myself, like I've been doing all my life. So don't go killing anyone that is after me. Given that I'm the one they're after, I'll be the judge of what to do with them. This I _ask _of you, Kuroro. If you can't do the not-killing part then I _don't_ need your help in finding the eyes." Kurapika came to a halt. He hadn't quite finished but the fleeting stunned look on Kuroro's face had him stumble over his words. _Had the man not thought about this? Had he expected Kurapika to rely on him that much in retrieving the eyes and everything had to go his own way? NO._

Upon seeing Kurapika's face resolved, Kuroro went into a brief silence for contemplation. This wasn't what he had expected nor what he had planned. But…for the first time in life, he came to realization that this had to be mutual. This was no Spider head, arms and legs.

This was just Kurapika and him.

He rose from the cushion to level his gaze with the boy. "Okay, let's make a deal then. I'll obey your wish as long as you obey mine."

"And that is?" Kurapika raised.

"Two conditions. One: I'll have Coltopi make a replica of you. You'll fake your death to the Mafia public, with your eyes not turned scarlet. As to when and where I'll come up with that plan later," Kuroro said without explaining further, knowing the boy should have gotten an idea.

Giving only a few seconds of thoughts, Kurapika nodded easily to that. "Okay." He only needed to notify Leorio, Killua, Gon, and Senritsu beforehand to save their freaking out. This death faking would benefit him in more ways than one. _That wasn't too bad coming from Kuroro_, then he asked, "And the second condition?"

"_If _there is a threat to your life lurking near you, and you don't take care of it... I _will._"

His heart sank, a stunned look crossed Kurapika's face. He knew what Kuroro's '_take care of it' _implied. _This one was more like Kuroro_. But no, this one condition wouldn't help him at all. He had to counter, "You still make it sound like I need protection from you."

The look on Kuroro's face was nothing but defiant. _Really, Kuroro Lucifer could be so stubborn._ Then again, he wasn't the only one. To avoid more blood and death, he had to pull this out.

Letting a mock smile creep to his expression, Kurapika sneered, "Look, I was the one who brought you down _once_. Has anyone ever achieved that before? No. Tell me you're not underestimating me because that would put you further down under my level."

Kurapika's words and how he had said them it that arrogant tone had Kuroro thrilled. It wasn't everyday the boy would show that side of him. It was one thing Kuroro was still unable to draw it out on his intention. Still, if he had to be more honest than this to get the boy to at least accept his deal…

"I know what you're trying to do, boy, putting my pride at stake. It _won't _work." Kuroro's tone changed as well to match with the boy's arrogant one. "Your strength is above all Mafias and most professional assassins combined, I might add. But there's a huge difference between being good enough to defend yourself and the intent to kill. People that are after you will _kill _you without so much as batting an eye. Your defending yourself will be nowhere near enough. _That_ would be your downfall. It happened once right in this city where you weren't fighting as if you want to kill me. You know the consequence."

_Right back at him._

The boy's face colored out of anger and possibly shame. Did they have to result this into a fight? Kurapika really didn't want one. Why couldn't the man just comply? Along the feeling of anger came the feeling of…_what? _He couldn't put it into words. The fact that Kuroro wouldn't back down on this and would go to that extent to…keep him safe? That sure was…unnerving, awkward, and in a strangest way…warmly comforting.

_No…that last thought must have been the product of his disarray from lack of sleep!_

Noticing the boy's rising hysteria underlying with anger, Kuroro had to take this the other way. "You know if you died, I die too. It's just a precaution." Upon that, he received a look from Kurapika that made it look like this statement was the most ridiculous and had been long overdue…which is true. How it had become an excuse as well.

"As if you care that much about your life," Kurapika scoffed with eyes narrowed.

Given it a thought, Kuroro gave a slow nod. "Believe it or not, I _do _now. I didn't go through all those trouble to bring you back with _nothing_." His jet black eyes zeroed in on the boy's.

He knew he _had_ something to lose now.

When the implication sank in, Kurapika felt another wave of heat rise up on this cheek. He angled his head to the ground; let his bangs do the job in hiding his face. _Why did Kuroro's words have to have this kind of effect on him? _

"I just want you alive and well," Kuroro said again. He…who barely felt for anything, hated this…hated the sneaky suspicion that he might lose the boy again at anytime now. He didn't want to feel what he felt when he returned home and met with nothing but Kurapika's blood on the wall.

Slowly, Kurapika looked up at him. The sincerity in the man's words rendered his comeback mute. He had to weigh Kuroro's condition. _What was the man's standard in measuring whatever threat was edging near him?_ With a guess at this point, Kuroro would have even reacted to the slightest false alarm.

It brought that same feeling he had back at Dolinku Mansion when Kuroro came for him.

Kuroro studied the boy having gone silent, again. Anticipation crept up on him, _was he going to get mad or… -_he least expected but couldn't rule it out_- sad? _When Kurapika slowly looked back up at him, Kuroro was let down by his anticipation. Kurapika was giving him that look again, the one he had back in that mansion.

'_Don't kill anymore,' _the boy had said to him, almost pleading. And he ended up breaking that request.

_This _was going to be one of the most difficult achievements in his life indeed. There was nothing that could stop him from killing…those who are after Kurapika. Not even Kurapika and that look on his face. He'd have always taken the death of his comrades in a stride, he didn't think he could do it with Kurapika. He'd hate to risk any chance no matter how slim they were.

He who had always been devoid of personal feelings, now took it _personally _when it came to this boy.

Then again, he was aware of the distance he'd created between him and Kurapika if he carried on killing.

"I'll try," Kuroro said at last. _Yes, try. He could try and fail on that part, couldn't he?_

"Try harder than the last time then."

_Or not?_

Eyeing the boy, Kuroro knew there was no sarcasm in that, Kurapika just meant what he said…his green eyes filled with a hint of doubt and underlying fear of this assurance being broken. Kuroro had to concede _for now. _He gave the boy a nod to which the other seemed a little relieved.

_Problematic…_than anything else he had ever encountered in life, even more than dealing with Zoldycks. But he wasn't going to back down on this nevertheless.

How did Kurapika find this flaw in him? No… It was Kurapika who had become_his_ weakness.

It came out as a stunning shock to Kuroro Lucifer. Yet in the light of it, he was _amused _of how Kurapika affected him this much, and continued to do so. Despite the worry it brought, it still kept him somewhat…entertained.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

To Kurapika's biggest relief, there was no bloodbath whatsoever in regaining the second pair of Kuruta eyes.

Kuroro had led him to the small underground world in the west side of the city. Right near where Kurapika had been loitering about where he first came to this town. It was unnerving for him to see such even a small peaceful city have an underground museum. Yet the dark side of it paled in comparison with York Shin's Mafia auction. They were just some people who were interested in rare items, including body parts nevertheless. People just came to see things and left, nothing heinous.

Fortunately, all the museum people were just ordinary people, no nen-user involved. Which made it easy for the two to slip in and just grab the eyes and go, leaving the trouble of lost object in its wake.

"You're frowning," Kuroro commented upon the look on Kurapika's face as they sped away from the scene.

The boy's eyes casted down briefly to the clothed cylindrical shaped container in his hold, before looking back to Kuroro. "I didn't expect it to be this…simple."

"I can tell you honestly that these first two pairs of eyes would be the easiest to retrieve. But rest assured, the rest of them are not going to be anywhere near easy." Kuroro slanted a look to the boy at his side and wasn't surprised that the boy was unfazed.

"You've mentioned it's impossible to gain all of them, is it true?" Kurapika asked while both of them came to a halt. The were far enough from the crime scene.

Kuroro had to think back, that had been a while. He thought it was impossible before, when their relationship hadn't reached this point. Now he had to think again. "Not if we work together."

Kurapika let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Nothing was going to change his determination in bringing all of the eyes back to his clan. But now that he was holding the third pair of eyes -the other two already in a safe place-, it started to sink in that all of the eyes he had gotten back were led by Kuroro's lead.

As hard as it was to swallow, it made him wonder if he would ever regain them if not for the man who stole them in the first place. Sure he wouldn't allow anything to be in his way, but how much longer would it take was the question. _If without Kuroro, was due time going to be within his lifetime?_

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

Next to the ever calm Atlantic Ocean sat a still Kurapika against the trunk of an old tree, with a container that held the Kuruta eyes inside sitting on his lap. A meter away, Kuroro was leaning on the trunk beside him. They had their eyes transfixed into the setting sun behind the soft blend horizon of pink and blue.

One glance at the boy and a smile appeared on Kuroro's lips. Wise move to bring the boy to this spot in the Atlantic Forest. The ocean calmed the boy's frazzled nerves. The air emanating from the old tree, such as the one they were leaning on, refreshed them.

Kurapika shifted a tad bit when Kuroro sat himself right next to him. To his surprise, he didn't even mind it one bit. If it were for the reason that the man had helped him retrieve the eyes or whatnot, he didn't want to think about it. Not now when he felt so much at ease.

When it all came down to it, he knew perfectly well that Kuroro wasn't atoning for his sin, he was just doing what he wanted…like he had been doing all along. That thought in mind, his eyes strayed to the man. He'd realized the raven-haired man looked…drowsy. _No…he was dozing off already._

After all, Kuroro hadn't had any sleep, mind preoccupied with the safety of the last Kuruta. Under normal circumstance, he could go on without sleep for a week, but a fight with Hisoka, and especially due this _worry_ he had just developed, had exhausted him in a way he hadn't felt for…like forever.

"Why don't you lie down a bit?" Kurapika suggested.

A thought ran through Kuroro's mind as his drowsy eyes zeroed on the boy. "Yeah, then why don't you put those eyes away first? It's safe here, no one's going to snatch them away from you now." Without so much as waiting for the boy's response, Kuroro reached to remove the cylindrical container from the boy's lap, placing it in the small hollow of the trunk next to Kurapika.

Having the object out of the way, Kuroro then proceeded to drop his head on the boy's lap. He drew a contented sigh and slipped his heavy eyelids close.

Stunned, Kurapika's whole body went frigid. For one thing, he had no idea how he had allowed Kuroro to remove the eyes from his lap in the first place. But most of all, why hadn't he throw Kuroro off by now? Once his shocked self wore off, he began: "H..Hey! I meant on the grass!" _'How dare he!?'_

"Too cold," Kuroro issued an apparent lie. Who was he to say it was too cold? He opened his eyes to regard the boy above him. _That blush that adorned his face had to mean something, hadn't it?_ Else, Kurapika would have decapitated or choke him already. It made Kuroro smile. The smile that affected Kurapika enough to stop fidgeting.

"Just for a while, Kurapika. Tomorrow we'll leave by train at first light. We'll work on the Kuruta eyes' whereabouts along the way to Melb city," Kuroro said, he was starting to feel too comfortable for his own good. Then he drifted off to a much-needed sleep.

Kurapika made a face to no one in particular._ 'Again, this man fell asleep so easily like a little kid!' _he growled mentally, but couldn't find it in himself to push the man away upon the look on Kuroro's sleeping face.

Somehow Kurapika was no stranger to this feeling, even though it might have been a while to get accustom to. When he was a kid that used to have an aimless wander into Rukuso forest, there were times when a small wildlife approached him to sleep on his lap whenever he happened to be sitting or lying on the grass. Both of them would share the warmth in the cold night.

This was no different. It was like he was caught with a cat sleeping on his lap. _But how did he possibly feel that it was the same? This was Kuroro Lucifer! _Somewhere inside of him protested, but then again somewhere deep inside of him beat that protesting voice down. _He didn't mind._ His eyes rested on the man. _Yes, he didn't mind at all._

_It's warm._

The last thing Kuroro's senses picked up on before he fully drifted off next to the warmth, was a gentle hand stroking his hair.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Three more minutes to train departure."

Kurapika let out a grunt at the man's note. _He need not stress that! Who was at fault for waking up so late, leaving them with less than an hour to rush downtown to catch a train that leaves only once a month? Who was the one who insisted they traveled by train, when there was an airport that was more flexible in terms of availability and travel duration. _

Being a slow, laid back and quiet city, there were no fast transportation that was going to get them to the train station in time, which left them with one option… Run for it.

They raced through, surpassing people and vehicles. Kurapika, trying his best to ignore the attention that they were drawing. One glance at the man and his brow twitched.

Indeed, Kuroro seemed to be…having fun. This running was nothing to him.

"This reminds me of the time you and that kid sped after the Spiders," the man trailed off.

'_Exactly,' _was Kurapika's thought as well. He rolled his eyes at their shared thoughts.

They neared the train station at the sound of train in a platform, hissing and sighing and threatening to leave any minute without them.

"9 more seconds," Kuroro mumbled.

"Eh!?" Just when Kurapika thought they were not going to make it even if they could save themselves the hassle of getting tickets, his hand was snatched and he had to go faster as the man pulled him along, almost throwing him off his feet. _'Ah! Too fast!'_

The next thing Kurapika knew was a gust of wind when the train's door shut inches from his feet. An announcement sounded through the speaker and announced the train's destination. Feeling his feet on the solid ground of the train, he sighed while brushing away his sweat. Glancing at the man next to him, he'd no wonder why Kuroro hadn't broken any at all.

"Made it," Kuroro said between a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" That being said, Kurapika heard light laughters around him. Eyes looking about, he took in the sight of other passengers, either in group or pairs had a laugh of relief and out of breath, pretty much in the same state as Kuroro and he had probably ran together to catch the train as well. Something about this railway atmosphere made Kurapika feel brighter. Then he noticed Kuroro's hand was still on his.

"Let's go to the last carriage, this one's too packed," Kuroro said as he pulled the boy along a bogy. One after another until they reached the last one where only a few passengers were on board.

"You can let go of my hand now," Kurapika said, feeling he got that out perhaps a little too late.

"All right?" the man responded airily as he let go. Once the boy sat himself down, Kuroro seated himself next to him. He smirked at the surprised look on the boy. "Look at the seating layout and don't complain, boy."

This train, unlike the one they took to pass Baal Capitol which had seats parallel along the carriage, facing each other, this one was 2-2 seats. But it still didn't mean they couldn't sit separately given that there were plenty of empty seats around.

"I wasn't going to complain," the blond returned in a mumble.

A smile pulled at Kuroro's lips. He knew, why else would Kurapika seat himself in the space next to the window?

"You look weary; I'm guessing you didn't sleep the well last night. Take the chance to get some now," Kuroro suggested. After all, Kurapika had had him in his lap all night. Kuroro held back a scoff. He was actually still alive.

The boy nodded to acknowledge it as he kept his eyes glued to the window.

Once the bell rang, the locomotive shifted and swerved off in the foggy morning, Kuroro and Kurapika embarked on another journey.

tbc...

XXX

I hope all my days Will be lit by your face  
I hope all the years Will hold tight our promises

I don't wanna be old and sleep alone  
An empty house is not a home  
I don't wanna be old and feel afraid

And if I need anything at all

I need a place That's hidden in the deep  
Where lonely angels sing you to your sleep  
Though all the world is broken

I need a place Where I can make my bed  
A lover's lap where I can lay my head  
Cos now the room is spinning  
The day's beginning

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

**Note: **Kuroro is becoming a worrywart! XD How's that. He might have what he wants at last but I'm not gonna make it easy for him *evil laughs*

Song is** 'Atlantic' **by **Keane. **I didn't intend to make this a songfic. But I got a whole lot of inspiration for a theme in this story because of this song since when I first started this. It gives a calm feeling, which is what I want for Kurapika after all he's been through.


End file.
